In this paper, the Franklin Institute's Ann Mintz discusses the managerial challenges associated with evaluation projects. Mintz explains how evaluators teeter on a continuum serving as both as artists and educators throughout the evaluation process. She cites evidence from an ongoing project at the Franklin Institute called the The Franklin Institute Computer Network that serves seven categories of museum visitors.
In this paper/talk, Roger S. Miles of London's Natural History Museum in London discusses the topic of exhibition teams. Miles argues that an exhibition closely reflects (or models) the team that puts it together and offers suggestions with examples for building successful teams and therefore, successful exhibits.
This paper examines the museum visitor, and conjointly, the exhibition media to be understand the concept of the visitor through trends of thought that have defined it over time. Researcher Bernard Shiele discusses the role of the visitor as an essential factor in museum discourse as well as the focus of this discourse.
In this paper, evaluator Marilyn G. Hood of Hood Associates examines 70 years of audience research and what we know about frequent visitors versus occasional visitors. Hood recommends broadening evaluators' perspective of visitor research to include literature from the fields of sociology, leisure science, consumer behavior, and psychology.
In this paper, Chris Steiner of the Albuquerque Museum investigates evaluation and its relation to art programs and organization. Steiner explores questions related to the appropriateness of evaluation in the art realm as well as new methods designed to facilitate the artistic creativity associated with the arts. Steiner presents eleven guidelines and recommendations for facilitating evaluation as an ongoing open-system-based process for arts organizations.
This paper discusses the whole evaluation process and draws from a new communications evaluation program which covers live communication programs as well as exhibitions at Parks Canada, Quebec Region. This paper address the client's role and the evaluator's conduct: addressing a request, choosing a consultant, giving support, and applying results.
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Louise BoucherPierre Thibodeau
resourceresearchProfessional Development, Conferences, and Networks
This paper presents a transcript from a panel discussion at a VSA program gathered to explore issues of concern related to the life of the "in-house evaluator." Three panelists, experience in-house evaluators, discuss their personal solutions to these issues and contradictions raised by this unique position, in the hope of helping professionals new to the task.
This paper presents an overview of methodology and findings from research that aimed to demonstrate, describe, and discuss actual cases of audience research conducted by museums with living collections (i.e. botanical gardens, arboreta, zoological parks, and aquaria). This research analyzes these museums' rationales for conducting evaluation studies, their chosen methods of implementation, the advantages and disadvantages of the chosen methods, and the consequences of the resulting data. The cumulative results of this research serve as a guide for professionals responsible for the operation of
This paper presents an overview of evaluation efforts at the Canadian Museum of Civilization Corporation, which consists of two major national museums--the Canadian Museum of Civilization and the Canadian War Museum. The authors explain how their "do-it-yourself" evaluation approach as a model for other museums with very limited resources.
In this paper, Douglas Worts of the Art Gallery of Ontario discusses how forging partnerships with corporations, schools, universities, and other cultural organizations can help museums achieve economics of scale while maximizing their human and financial resources. Specifically, Worts describes the benefits of an honest and respectful partnership between museums and the public, with examples from his own work at the Art Gallery of Ontario.
In this paper, researchers from Colorado State University (CSU) discuss rising concern of public land managers, ranchers, and the general public about public lands grazing and the conflicts that arise between industry and recreation-seeking citizens. The authors present findings from a research project conducted under a cooperative agreement between the College of Natural Resources at CSU, the Grand Mesa/Uncompaghre National Forest, and the Rocky Mountain Forest Experiment Station. The first phase of this research was a visitor perception study conducted on the Big Cimarron Allotment in
This paper examines long term measures of self reported behavior changes after a visit to a botanic garden. These efforts analyze the effectiveness of botanic garden exhibits on focusing public attention on the issues of conservation. Key findings from a study at the "Endangered Island Plants" exhibit at the Chelsea Physic Garden are outlined.